Eco-conscious homeowners in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, have been rewarded with nearly RM1mil in cumulative tax rebates since 2011.
The rebate scheme is offered to homeowners who took the initiative to make their houses greener and more environmentally friendly, particularly in areas such as energy use, water conservation and waste management.
Since the scheme’s inception in 2011, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has credited the amount to over 2,500 eligible households.
Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the cumulative amount was nearly RM1mil.
For 2025 alone, he said, MBPJ approved 243 rebate applications totalling RM81,075.28, which will be credited to residents in the second term of 2026.
He said such residents can apply and track their tax rebate status online via a new platform called PJ Eco Rebate (PJeR).
The platform marks the first digital pilot of its kind by a Malaysian local authority, shifting away from its traditional manual application process.
“Through this new system, residents can submit applications and upload documents more easily and efficiently,” he said when unveiling the new PJeR system at MBPJ headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin.
Mohamad Zahri also announced an allocation of RM500,000 for the Petaling Jaya Sustainable Community Grant (PJ SEED) for this year.
Since 2019, he said PJ SEED has funded 180 projects with a total investment of RM3.2mil.
“In 2025 alone, 27 projects were greenlit with an allocation of over RM513,000.
“This is an important platform to encourage creative and innovative ideas from our organisations and communities,” he added.
The ceremony also saw the appointment of 13 PJ Bersih Ambassadors for the 2026-2027 session.
MBPJ Solid Waste Manage-ment and Public Cleansing Department director Zain Azly Abdul Rahman said the ambassadors, selected by MBPJ councillors, would act as the city’s “eyes and ears” on the ground.
Tasked with monitoring 24 zones, the ambassadors will focus on identifying illegal waste dumping hotspots, educating neighbours on recycling and monitoring cleanliness in high-density areas such as Desa Mentari, Kota Damansara and Damansara Damai.
Meanwhile, sustainability efforts are also heading for the classroom.
Through a partnership with Fraser & Neave (F&N) and Tetra Pak Malaysia, the MBPJ School Recycling Programme saw 30 schools collect 126,707kg of recyclable materials between 2022 and 2024.
The programme launch was attended by Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Aznan Hassan, Selangor Education Department Student Talent Development Unit (student development sector) assistant director Khairul Anuar Abdul Azid, MBPJ deputy secretary (management) Mohd Fauzi Maarop, F&N Holdings Bhd group sustainability manager Jojo Ngo Rou Ping and Tetra Pak Malaysia Sdn Bhd Asean sustainability director Terrynz Tan among others.
